Prospective Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 I'm floating an idea here and am curious to see what kind of response I get from everyone (including Pete). As you all know, sometimes research can be confusing especially if you are new to the game and/or do not have the benefit of being in an alliance with a shared pool of knowledge. Many times it's difficult to know what research will be beneficial to your overall goals and what research is a waste of time. My proposal is that a new order be implemented. The order would be called Request Technological Advice (RTA) and would be in the format: RTA, <special character number>, <researchable item> <special character number> would be the number of one of your Scientist Special Characters <researchable item> would be the researchable techs listed on your individual turnsheets (the page following the Research Report). For example, let's say it's early on in the game and you have Scholar <needs name> (special character 2) in your Character Report page and Titanium Composite Armor listed in your Researchable Items list. You are curious where Titanium Composite Armor could potentially lead you. So, you enter the following into the SN:ROTE turn entry program: RTA,2,Titanium Composite Armor A successful 'hit', the results on your turnsheet says something like: "Scholar <needs name> advises you that research of "Titanium Composite Armor" may eventually allow you to develop "Vananite Battle Armor" An unsuccessful hit would say something like: "Scholar <needs name> reports that he is unable to offer any advice where research of "Titanium Composite Armor" may lead you. Your success rate would be a base chance (Pete could determine a base %, perhaps related to your racial Intelligence and Sensory selections) that is modified by the level of the scientst you select and the research facilities available to that scientist. A successful hit would give you the name of an item further up the tech tree that has (in this case) Titanium Composite Armor as a pre-requisite or as a pre-pre-requisite (which would mean that the potential set of results to Titanium Composite Armor would be Selenite Battle Weave, Cordellium Composite, Vananite Battle Armor, Trizenium Flex-Plate or Tckon 68). In order to prevent potential abuse (like someone submitting 400 RTA orders which would be quite costly but I'm sure someone would do), Pete could apply the ever-loved "law of diminishing returns" to the RTA order. The first RTA order issued would stand a much better chance of success than the second, or the third or the fourth. The "rate of decay" could be a steep linear curve or perhaps drop off at an exponential rate. So, what do you all think of this idea? Might it be useful without being overpowering and affecting gameplay balance? Is it something that is even feasible to add to the game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breoghan Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 I had similar, if much less developed lines of thought on the matter myself. My own speculations would not have allowed more than one level of "what will it lead to" information, as these other, more distant snippets of information may well require parallel research on other, associated stuff. I agree that such an order would have diminishing returns - who does all the leg-work for these legendary characters.... they can handle only so much work at any one time, after all. As can the legendary characters for that matter. The rest of what you say works fine for me..... now if only the powers that be could agree..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laserwolf Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 And if a tech lead to multiple others, what would you see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Deependra Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 How about:- When you do an ANZ on a tech, if it leads to tech that you haven't researched and is not in your Researchable Items, the following message is added. "Your scientists feel that with further study they could adapt this technology to new uses." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prospective Posted November 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Laserwolf, If there are multiple techs that it leads to, there is a random chance of any of them turning up. This prevents the RTA from becoming too absolute (after all this is a request for technological ADVICE, not guarantee), but gives you a chance to look far ahead into the tech tree to see if this is something that you want to continue to research. The silence is deafening out there... maybe this is a bad suggestion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobknob Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 I suppose that I will be frank here. Having traveled down many a dead end in the 4+ years playing and 10+ positions, I would oppose anything that prevents others from enjoying the same benefits. The tech tree is very complicted and convoluted and while I freely help many a player with the early techs I would be particulary peaved if just anybody could find out the direction to Dyson Spheres, as an example, without spending all the time and energy necessary as well as the sacrifice of other techs to get it the old fashioned way. Even in an alliance, many of the techs are found only by sacrificing a broadbased research approach in favor of a risky narrow focus approach. In purely game terms, the only way that your scientist even know about an advanced tech is through planet exploration. I would suggest that the best way to aid the discovery of new techs is to make it tied to exploration orders. A result could be added that sheds some light on item in question. So instead of getting a small advance in that techs research you could get some sort of helpful message. Such messages could be as simple as " this is a horizon tech, ground tech, etc." or they could offer some other advice. If you got really complicated the program could actually look at what you had already researched in order to determine if there was anything close, ie., if you found blacklight cannon information and your empire could research the crystillizer then the message could suggest that the blacklight cannon was a cold weapon. If you have not researched anything that is cold related then your scientist may not have any idea what it is related to. Another option is to get the religious leaders doing their thing more efficiently and allow some divine inspiration. So to summarize, I would not like to see anything that gives tech advice help just for the asking, but I think that having some sort of tech help available could be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LenLorek Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 I am happy with the way SNROTE has it at present. An EXPL may discover a high tech item, so you ANZ the item to find out how to get to it. I think that's good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cestvel Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Problem with that is, that you can only get buildable items. And in rare cases installations. But no Horizon or Ground Combat tech. Maybe there shoudl be the possibility to find an ANZ/INST as an EXPL hit. That would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Uriel Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 I tend to agree with Hobknob on this one. Why should the newer players be deprived the enjoyment of figuring out the game like the rest of us have?My suggestion for newer players; read every thread on these boards and the older one (if you can find it). Sometimes a little tidbit can be found in a thread that has taken on a life of its' own. Lord Uriel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagritz Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 SNIP RTA,2,Titanium Composite Armor A successful 'hit', the results on your turnsheet says something like: "Scholar <needs name> advises you that research of "Titanium Composite Armor" may eventually allow you to develop "Vananite Battle Armor" An unsuccessful hit would say something like: "Scholar <needs name> reports that he is unable to offer any advice where research of "Titanium Composite Armor" may lead you. SNIP <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Picutre the scene in WW2.... Politician: Hey guys how goes that Enigma machine Scientist: Going really well, should be finished soon thanks to all those SRP's santa brought Politican: Out of interest guys what could we expect in the future once youve finished Scientist: Ipod's Politician: Whats an Ipod? Politician: its gonig to be this great MP3 player, everyone in the future will have it thanks to the amazing computer technology were going to develop of the back of this Politician: Mp3? Computers? this will help defeat the Nazis right? Scientist: No stupid it will be along much too late for that, itll just revolutionise the music industry making CD's obsolete Politican: CD's? <g> Or in SNROTE: Politican: You nearly finished that Titanium composite armour? Scientist: Yep almost done... Politican: Wow were going to the best navy ever, no one can top this armour Scientist: Yep they can, Once weve done this armour and about 3-4 slightly better versions we can develop Tckon 68 Armour Politician: Tckon 68 Armour? whats that and why cant we have it now! Scientist: Cos... we have the idea but were not gonig to build it yet, we name these things and then work towards it. Politican: really is that the best way of doing it? Scientist: totally, this way theres no accidental discoveries and no one is confused. Politician: Im a little confused... Scientist: trust us we know what were doing now and in the future later Miltiades :] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Uriel Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 SNIP RTA,2,Titanium Composite Armor A successful 'hit', the results on your turnsheet says something like: "Scholar <needs name> advises you that research of "Titanium Composite Armor" may eventually allow you to develop "Vananite Battle Armor" An unsuccessful hit would say something like: "Scholar <needs name> reports that he is unable to offer any advice where research of "Titanium Composite Armor" may lead you. SNIP <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Picutre the scene in WW2.... Politician: Hey guys how goes that Enigma machine Scientist: Going really well, should be finished soon thanks to all those SRP's santa brought Politican: Out of interest guys what could we expect in the future once youve finished Scientist: Ipod's Politician: Whats an Ipod? Politician: its gonig to be this great MP3 player, everyone in the future will have it thanks to the amazing computer technology were going to develop of the back of this Politician: Mp3? Computers? this will help defeat the Nazis right? Scientist: No stupid it will be along much too late for that, itll just revolutionise the music industry making CD's obsolete Politican: CD's? <g> Or in SNROTE: Politican: You nearly finished that Titanium composite armour? Scientist: Yep almost done... Politican: Wow were going to the best navy ever, no one can top this armour Scientist: Yep they can, Once weve done this armour and about 3-4 slightly better versions we can develop Tckon 68 Armour Politician: Tckon 68 Armour? whats that and why cant we have it now! Scientist: Cos... we have the idea but were not gonig to build it yet, we name these things and then work towards it. Politican: really is that the best way of doing it? Scientist: totally, this way theres no accidental discoveries and no one is confused. Politician: Im a little confused... Scientist: trust us we know what were doing now and in the future later Miltiades :] <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This is funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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